Garth Nix, Sabriel

"Touchstone watched, suddenly conscious that he probably only had five seconds left to be alone with Sabriel, to say something, to say anything. Perhaps the last five seconds they ever would have alone together.I am not afraid, he said to himself."I love you,"he whispered. "I hope you don't mind."

"Death and what came after death was no great mystery to Sabriel. She just wished it was."